UCI launches Cycling for All Manifesto to encourage more everyday riding

The UCI has launched a Cycling for All Manifesto aimed at getting people around the world to use bicycles as a means of getting around in their daily lives.

It covers a number of areas that will aim to promote cycling around the globe with the aim of helping tackle issues such as air pollution, congestion, obesity and poverty, with pro cyclists also brought on board to campaign for cycling.

In the manifesto, the UCI says: “We want to see cities, governments and international institutions around the world make cycling safer, encourage children to take up cycling and create better infrastructures for everyone to be able to use bikes for both transport and recreation, wherever they live, work or study.

“Every city should be inspired by the levels of cycling currently achieved in world leading places, like the Netherlands or Denmark, where up to a third of trips are made by bike.

“Cycling is an inherently safe, enjoyable and positive activity, but we need to ensure that conditions on our roads feel safer to enable many more to enjoy the benefits of cycling.

“Governments can enhance safety by ensuring that roads and junctions are designed to accommodate people cycling and experience across nations has proven that the places with the highest level of cycling are those where cycling infrastructures have been integrated into the road layout design.

“Policymakers can also enhance levels of cycling by enforcing the right traffic laws and we call on them to introduce and actively promote legislation on safe passing distances, restrictions on heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) in towns and cities, lower urban speed limits and good driver education on cycle safety.”

The organisation has summarised the aims of the initiative as follows:

• At the political level, the UCI will engage with policy makers to encourage countries and international organisations to adopt bike-friendly policy. For example, the UCI is working directly in Brussels to influence EU decision-making, ensuring that the European institutions are supporting cycling, and looking to the bicycle to achieve EU policy goals. As part of this, the UCI and UEC are calling on the European Commission to adopt a European Cycling Strategy

• With the UCI Bike City label, the UCI is rewarding and working with cities that invest in elite cycling and everyday cycling activities

• The UCI is developing a UCI Cycling for All Ambassadors programme to work with professional riders on cycling advocacy campaigns

• With the UN Sustainable Development Goals in place, the UCI will push cycling as a tool for sustainable and inclusive development

• The UCI will support its National Federations, sharing best practice and encourage their cycling for all activities.